第2章
In what ways would you like this course to contribute to your students’
education? Walker and McKeachie (1967) offer these goals for introductory psychology:
. Communicate elementary concepts
. Communicate facts in support of concepts
. Introduce the student to the full range of subject matter
. Integrate course material
. Communicate basic attitudes of the discipline
. Communicate the intrinsic interest of the subject matter
. Present the newest developments in the field
. Provide individual guidance and monitoring
. Develop selected intellectual skills
. Provide a suitable identification model for the students
THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE FIRST CLASS
MEETING
DRAFT A WORKING SYLLABUS DETAILING THE FOLLOWING:
. The sequence of topics to be covered, with approximate time blocks allocated to each
. Readings to be assigned for each topic
. New lectures you plan to prepare, with a brief summary of major points to be included in each
. Old lectures you want to improve
. Demonstrations and discussions you expect to conduct
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. Guest speakers you hope to schedule, with alternates in case your first choices are unavailable
. Films and other audiovisual aids, with their intended use (e.g., films will be scheduled for class
time, while some audio and video tapes may be put on reserve in the library and recommended
in conjunction with appropriate topics)
FINALIZE COURSE PLANS
Finalize the syllabus except for specific dates for guest lecturers not yet committed and other details yet
unknown. It is OK to note that plans for some class periods are “in preparation.”
ONE TO TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE FIRST CLASS
. Confirm that texts have been received by the bookstore and that reserve readings will be
available. Check for yourself.
. Review all class materials and be sure that they are in fact duplicated, satisfactory, and located
where they can be found when needed.
. If any uncertainty remains about audiovisual materials or items needed for demonstrations,
send out final orders and adapt your plans accordingly.
. Finalize the syllabus and have it duplicated on three-hole paper in a quantity about 25 percent
larger than your anticipated need (students often take more than one). Also, distribute copies to
your colleagues. They need to know what you are doing in the basic course if it is a prerequisite
for their courses, and they may well have comments and suggestions you will find valuable.
THE FIRST CLASS
DON’T TALK ABOUT PSYCHOLOGY: SHOW ME
Introductory psychology differs from other classes because the students will be able to relate to much of the
material on a personal level. As you explain to the students that this psychology course speaks to
contemporary personal and social issues, you are on the spot to show them rather than just proclaim it.
Starting the class with a demonstration can be a first-day relief to both you and your students. If you start
the class with a brief “Candid Camera” film or a demonstration of the kind outlined in the Experiments
and Demonstrations section of this manual, you are not talking the whole time, and you and your class
together are relating to the same material. For the students, a demonstration will be a welcome relief from all
of their other first-day-of-the-term courses, which typically are “very talky” and full of logistics. To avoid the
latter, come early and follow these guidelines:
. Post on the blackboard your course title, the course number, and your name. Also note on the
board: “Please look over the syllabus; we will discuss it at the end of the class hour.”
. Arrange to have the syllabus distributed at the entrance to the classroom, with extra copies
available at the front and rear of the room.
. Do not begin the course with a proclamation of the usual details about course organization.
These details are in the syllabus.
. Avoid the “Psychology Is a Science” routine, so typical in many first classes. It makes you
defensive, often antagonizes some “hard science” majors, and is unnecessary. Students should
discover the scientific foundations of psychology through their reading and your general
exposition.
For a demonstration to be especially suitable for the first class, it should be intrinsically intriguing, require
no advance knowledge by students, and be a take-off point for introducing some of the basic questions of
psychology. Several of the demonstrations suggested in the Experiments and Demonstrations section of
this manual fit these criteria.
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KEEP ANTICIPATING YOUR NEEDS
GUEST LECTURERS
Contact a guest seven to ten days before his or her presentation date. Send written confirmation of the date,
time, topic, and directions to the classroom if needed. Speak to the guest personally: Ask about equipment
needs and for comments for your introduction. Provide the guest with a copy of the syllabus, an idea of
what you have covered related to the topic, the level of sophistication of the class, and any special
classroom procedures you follow. Announcements of visitors expected to be of general interest should be
posted for your colleagues’ information as well.
DEMONSTRATIONS
The major virtue of a demonstration or class experiment lies in making one point, or a few points, in a vivid,
memorable form. Other virtues are generating greater class interest with a more varied format, seeing
psychology in action, and building up a reserve of “can’t miss” demonstrations you can rely on term after
term. Nevertheless, the first time out, demonstrations take lots of planning and time. All demonstrations
should be tried at least once before you attempt them in class; if possible, they should be practiced several
times. This is the only way to accurately gauge the time you need, anticipate operational difficulties, and get
the feel of introducing the demonstration, making transitions, and concluding it. For demonstrations that
are time-consuming or demanding, videotape them so next time you are set to go through with the show if
something goes amiss in the live act.
LECTURES
Lectures should be drafted in final form several days before they are to be delivered so that you can revise
them as the ideas revolve in your mind. Lectures read verbatim are almost inevitably deadly boring. Never
read a lecture, unless you can read like Dylan Thomas.
OUTLINES
Draw up an outline on the evening or morning before the lecture date and speak from that outline, carrying
the full notes in your briefcase for reference and a sense of security. If duplicating facilities are adequate, it is
helpful to distribute copies of your outline to the students as they enter the room. Otherwise, you may want
to write the outline on the board or display it by overhead projection. Teachers who use an overhead
projector regularly during their lectures may keep their outline visible throughout, projecting it via a second
overhead projector on one side of the screen. Speaking from your outline encourages spontaneity of
expression and natural nonverbal interaction with your students, while making the outline available to
students in advance allows them to attend to the content of your presentation without simultaneously
attempting to tease out its structure. It is also a helpful gift to students who must miss a class or leave early
and so is appreciated by all. Writing the outline in advance also forces you to be organized and to avoid
last-minute rushes. When you cannot prepare an outline in advance, distribute one the next session.
AUDIT OTHER PSYCHOLOGY COURSES
If there is an introductory psychology course in progress in the term before yours, sit in on it periodically.
See how the teacher launches the course, handles testing and evaluation, and deals with disturbances.
What might you do to get the same positive results but avoid any negative ones you observe?